Technology is a helpful option for school district transportation departments looking to improve efficiency and cut costs, a transportation coordinator shared during a recent webinar.

Bryan Mitchell, marketing director for Transit Technologies, reviewed current challenges related to on-time student transportation plagued by slashed budgets, driver shortages and increasing parent demands.

Rome City Schools in Georgia was facing a costly and inefficient payroll process, he said. With more than 100 transportation staff members relying on paper-based timesheets, including multi-colored paper for different shifts, Mitchell explained that the monthly task of preparing payroll was a logistical nightmare.

By using ByteCurve digital time clocks and payroll software, the district realized $30,000 in monthly labor cost savings totaling about $300,000 annually, even after wage increases. Jonathan Agenten, director of sales for ByteCurve, explained that the savings came from shaving a few minutes off each driver’s paid hours due to more accurate data collection. Christina Buffington, transportation coordinator for Rome City Schools, confirmed that no driver experienced a significant wage loss.

Buffington shared that the previous paper time sheet method would take up to a month to add up hours and verify before finalizing. She confirmed that the ByteCurve digital process has reduced the time it takes to complete the process and allows management to verify drivers’ route completion via GPS. Payroll errors were nearly eliminated and 10 hours were saved per week in driver communications and payroll reconciliation.

“It’s the work that drives the day – it’s the work that drives the pay,” quipped Agenten.

He reviewed the way ByteCurve streamlines and improves communication between the normally siloed transportation segments of routing, payroll and GPS tracking. The system provides a digital clock-in experience for drivers, an airport terminal-like dashboard emphasizing delayed or canceled routes that require staff attention, a real-time bus location view and the ability to automatically calculate complex pay scenarios based on district policies.

Mitchell and Agenten reviewed the rugged and reliable Vehicle Camera Systems and Driver-Facing Cameras offered by Vestige, a sister company to ByteCurve via parent company Transit Technologies. AI-Powered Safety Solutions include a Driver Monitoring System to detect drowsiness, distraction, smoking, and phone use as well as Advanced Driver Assistance System alerts for forward collision, lane departure and pedestrian detection.

Transit Technologies also offers FASTER maintenance software which it says was “purpose built to match how fleets operate, not how companies think they do,” and can save 10-15 hours per week with automated reports and real-time dashboards.

Also recently added to the Transit Technologies family of companies was field trip management software provider busHive.

Mitchell spoke to the company’s goal of offering an integrated tech stack to meet all of a school district’s transportation needs.

These technologies are beneficial as they discover savings and efficiencies in fuel and payroll, which are the two biggest expenses in transportation, noted STN Publisher Tony Corpin.

Agenten emphasized the “white glove” treatment offered by ByteCurve in initially setting up the systems to fulfill the needs of each individual district. From Rome City Schools, both Buffington and Director of Transportation Elander Graham praised the customer service experience.

Watch the webinar and visit bytecurve.com to learn more.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Payroll Technology Saves Georgia School District Thousands of Dollars appeared first on School Transportation News.

A Texas transportation director provided attendees with a live demo of the Bytecurve payroll and dispatch software, as well as numerous tips on improving school bus operational efficiency.

Bryan Mitchell, marketing manager for Bytecurve parent company Transit Technologies, explained during the Thursday webinar that with COVID-era funding programs ending, budget concerns combined with routine driver shortages, upset parents and disconnected tech systems complicate student transportation operations every day. He noted that half of U.S. students rely on school bus services but the number of school bus drivers decreased 15 percent from 2019 to 2023.

Mitchell reviewed a case study on the $30,000 monthly labor cost savings that Rome School District in Georgia achieved with Bytecurve, along with nearly eliminating payroll errors and saving 10 hours per week in driver communications and payroll reconciliation. He added that Russellville School District in Arkansas reported saving $15,000 per month.

Additionally, fellow webinar panelist Jonquez Moore, transportation director of Little Elm ISD in northeast Texas, discovered school bus efficiency by bringing two school district transportation operations in-house from contractors and implemented Bytecurve both times.

“We live in a very connected world. Unfortunately, in K-12 it’s not very connected,” observed Jonathan Agenten, director of sales for Bytecurve.

The payroll, scheduling and dispatch system lets drivers clock in via tablet, app or wall clock. Moore said some Little Elm ISD drivers like using the app to save time but noted a tablet option is available for drivers who are reluctant to download the app. He confirmed the app is location based so drivers can only clock in when they are within a predetermined distance from the facility. Agenten added that management can send notifications and see when the drivers read them.

Moore said he appreciated how real-time bus locations arranged in an airport terminal-style dashboard allows managers to proactively handle late, delayed or canceled routes.

“When it’s busy, you don’t know a bus is late until it’s late,” he commented.

Moore shared a view of his Bytecurve dashboard with webinar attendees and pointed out that dispatchers can easily see what drivers are clocked in and what buses they are assigned to. Managers can also manually clock in drivers or remove buses or drivers from the schedule if an event is canceled.

Noting his fondness for reports, Moore showed how easy it is to access on-time performance reports, which he shares with district administration and uses to praise his drivers.

Various stats are clickable, he added, allowing deep dives into problem areas. He said he uses this information to talk to his team and determine what to change.

“I’m not getting paid for this [webinar], so I really believe in their system,” Moore declared.

Related: (Recorded Webinar) How School Districts Save $30,000 per Month with Smarter Payroll
Related: Arkansas District Uses Technology to Save Money and Time
Related: (Recorded Webinar) Arkansas Transportation Department Saves $15K per Month with Bytecurve
Related: Payroll Technology Saves Thousands of Dollars for Georgia School District

He added that a report on planned vs. scheduled vs. actual hours worked is a favorite of the district chief financial officer as it helps with budget questions.

He noted that if there is an unexpected school bus driver shortage, a dispatcher can reassign the route with a few clicks. The system also notes what drivers are already working and therefore unavailable.

Identifying Additional Efficiencies in Operations

When changing tiered routes, where a driver was assigned to elementary and middle or high schools, Agenten confirmed that routes can be split up and reassigned by school or stop. The system notes the resulting changes and the app communicates those changes to parents.

He reviewed payroll integrations and confirmed that each district is a unique customer that Bytecurve will set up according to its particular rules.

When it comes to union requirements and driver minimum hours, task codes added upon system setup become part of the foundation so “things are calculated proactively and accurately,” Agenten said. Managers can use a few clicks to approve driver timesheets based on these preapproved district procedures.

He also answered an attendee question by stating that Bytecurve integrates with several tablets and also provides one of its own.

Mitchell reviewed Transit Technologies’ other offerings, one of which is onboard student and driver facing cameras that are ruggedized, reliable and warranty protected. busHive software allows districts to quickly quote, set up, complete and get reimbursed for field trips. FASTER Maintenance Software allows technicians to proactively manage bus repairs.

Watch the webinar on demand.

The post Technology Webinar Takes Detailed Dive into School Bus Efficiency appeared first on School Transportation News.

Student transportation leaders are being asked to do more with less—manage driver shortages, control labor costs, ensure on-time arrivals, and maintain payroll accuracy across increasingly complex operations. Yet many districts still rely on disconnected systems for GPS, routing, dispatch, and payroll, leaving gaps in visibility when it matters most.

In this webinar, hear directly from Little Elm Independent School District (TX) about how they successfully transitioned from a contractor-based model to a fully in-house transportation operation—and why unifying dispatch and payroll into a single command-and-control system was non-negotiable.

Under the leadership of Transportation Director Jonquez Moore, Little Elm ISD adopted Bytecurve to gain real-time insight into driver availability, route performance, and labor costs.

Attendees will learn how management-by-exception dashboards help dispatch teams identify late or missing drivers before service is impacted, how tying clock-in times to route schedules improves payroll accuracy, and how district leaders use data to track on-time performance by route and campus.

The session will also explore measurable outcomes, including improved on-time arrivals, reduced payroll leakage, and increased confidence across dispatch and payroll teams.

Whether you’re managing an in-house fleet or evaluating how to modernize your transportation technology stack, this webinar will provide practical, peer-driven insights you can apply immediately.

Brought to you by Bytecurve

REGISTER BELOW:

Presenters:

Jonquez Moore
Transportation Leader
Little Elm Independent School District (TX)

Jonquez Moore is the transportation Leader at Little Elm ISD, where he oversaw the district’s transition from contractor-based service to a district-run operation. A former teacher and coach, Moore brings a unique operational perspective and is known for leveraging real-time data to improve dispatch efficiency, payroll accuracy, and on-time arrivals across a growing fleet.

Jonathan Agenten
Sales Director
Bytecurve

Jonathan Agenten manages strategy and customer engagement for Bytecurve, working closely with school districts nationwide to improve dispatch visibility, payroll accuracy, and operational performance. With deep experience in K-12 transportation technology, he helps districts modernize workflows and make data-driven decisions.

Bryan Mitchell
Marketing
Bytecurve

Bryan Mitchell focuses on helping transportation leaders understand how unified dispatch and payroll systems reduce labor inefficiencies and improve on-time performance.

The post (Free Webinar) Running Transportation Dispatch & Payroll as One System appeared first on School Transportation News.